Driving mechanism for automobiles.



PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

G. R. WALKER.- DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.1. 1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Inlre M; or. v

s s e s 532M AMWWZLW PATENTED SEPT. 17, 1907.

G. R. WALKER.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.1.1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7m: NORRIS PETERS co., wasumcwu. D. c.

GEORGE R. WALKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17, 1907.

Application filed October 1, 1906. Serial No. 33 7,005.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE R. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in driving mechanism for automobiles, and refers more specifically to a mechanism of that character in which a speed reducing gear mechanism is arranged within the wheel and is directly driven from the armature shaft of a motor supported by the axle concentric with the wheel.

Among the salient objects of the present invention are to provide a construction in which the comparatively high speed of the armature shaft is reduced and transmitted to the wheel rim by a single gear reduction; to provide a construction of the character referred to in which the separating or lateral thrust of the several gears meshing with each other is perfectly equalized or counterbalanced, thereby relieving the bearings which support the several gears and the armature shaft practically from all lateral thrust; to provide a construction of such character that the gears are all of the spur tooth order and in which the driving torque of the armature shaft is transmitted to the vehicle wheel through two intermediate gears acting uponthe vehicle wheel at diametrically opposite points; to provide a construction which is extremely simple both as to manufacture and assembling; to provide a mechanism which is self-contained and entirely housed against access of dirt, dust and moisture; to provide a mechanism which is extremely compact and capable of use in con nection with most types of motor vehicles; and in general to provide an improved mechanism of the character referred to.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an outside face view of a vehicle wheel equipped with my invention, parts of that side of the structure toward the observer being broken out to ex pose internal parts; Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view taken through the wheel and through the motor applied to drive the same; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken through the planet gear supporting yoke adja cent to the planet gears; Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of the yoke.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates as a whole a traction wheel of an automobile, which wheel comprises as its main feature a rim 2 provided externally with a suitable tire 3 and internally with an annular rack or internal gear 4, a pair of side plates or casings 5 and 6, respectively, and hub members 7 and 8. The side plates are suitably secured to the rim, as indicated at 7, and likewise are at their inner perimeters rigidly bolted to the respective hub members 7 and 8; the latter having annular rabbets 9 within which the perimeters of the plates fit, as indicated clearly in Fig. 2.

Each hub member is suitably formed internally to receive a set of roller bearings, as 10 and 11, and within the bearings thus formed are fitted the two hub-like extensions 13 and 13 respectively, of a yoke, designated as a whole 12. The yoke 12 is axially bored to receive the armature shaft 14 of an armature 15, and a pinion l6 keyed upon said shaft in register with the central plane of the traction wheel. A bushing or sleeve 17 is desirably interposed between the armature shaft and the interior of the hub member 13 of the yoke to provide for replacement in case of wear. The yoke 12 is provided with two pairs of diametrically opposite radial yoke arms, as 18 and 19, between and upon each pair of which is journaled an intermediate gear, as 20 and 20. These gears both mesh with the center pinion 16 and also with the internal gear 4; the driving relations between the armature shaft and the diametrically opposite points of the internal gear being symmetrical. In order that the .inner peripheries of the intermediate gears may mesh with the pinion the yoke is obviously divided to points coincident with the periphery of the pinion but the two halves of the yoke are integrally united by the bridge portions 12 which encircle the pinion except where cut away to admit the peripheries of the intermediate gears, as shown clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.

In the preferred construction shown the intermediate gears are mounted between the yoke arms upon tubular journal pins 21 which extend through the respective pairs of arms, and sets of roller bearings 22 are interposed between the exteriors of these journal pins and lthe journal apertures of the gears.

In order to confine the traction wheel upon and in suitable bearing relation to the yoke 12, the outer hub member of the latter is externally threaded and a suitable confining nut 23 mounted thereon in position to engage the end of the hub member 8. This confining nut also confines the set of roller bearings 11. A cap 24 is detachably applied to close the end of the hub member 8.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the yoke member 12 constitutes in effect the journal upon which the traction wheel is mounted. The yoke member is rigidly bolted or secured to the end frame plate 26 of a motor, designated as a whole 25. To insure a rigid union of these parts, the said end plate is centrally recessed, as indicated at 27, the end of the yoke fitted into this recess and a series of tap screws 28 extended through the end plate and into the end of the yoke. The motor frame is in turn mounted between the upper and lower bars 29 and 30, respectively, of an axle frame;

these bars being each provided with a suitable bearing aperture or socket, as 31, within which fits a corresponding trunnion 32 formed or mounted upon the motor frame. These trunnions are diametrically opposite and in vertical alinement with each other so that the motor frame and traction wheel may oscillate as a unit about the vertical pivot or knuckle joint thus formed. In order to reinforce the axle structure, a ring or band 33 is arranged to encircle the motor frame at a point in register with the trunnions 32 and is rigidly united with the repective axle bars 29 and 30. The precise construction of the motor is immaterial to the present invention, that shown herein being a usual form in so far as its armatiue, field pieces and other electrical features are concerned. It is to be noted, however, that the end plate or casing 26 thereof is made detachable from the rest of the casing and secured in position by means of a series of tap bolts 34.

In order to prevent accesss of dust and dirt to the runing joints, the side plate 5 of the traction wheel is provided with an outstanding cylindrie flange 35 the outer edge of which slightly overlaps the periphery of the casing plate 26 and forms a close running joint with the latter. This flange will, in practice, ordinarily serve the function of a brake rim also.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a driving mechanism, the combination of a trac tion wheel provided interiorly with a gear rigidly mounted thereon concentric with its axis of rotation. a drive shaft journaled in alinement with the axis of the traction wheel, extending within the wheel and carrying a pinion, a yoke constituting an axlesupport upon which said traction wheel is journaled, provided within said wheel with radial extensions and a plurality of intermediate gears interposed between said pinion and the internal gear and meshing with both.

2. In a driving mechanism, the combination with a vehicle axle, of a traction wheel provided interiorly with a gear concentric with the axis of rotation of the wheel, a drive shaft journaled in alinernent with the axis of the traction wheel extending within the wheel and carrying a driving pinion, a plurality of intermediate gears interposed between said pinion and the internal gear and transmitting driving moment from the pinion to the said gear, and a yoke forming a rigid extension of said axle. extending through the wheel, provided within the wheel with radial extensions upon which said intermediate gears are journalcd, and at either side of said yoke with journal portions upon which the traction wheel is journaled.

3. In a driving mechanism, the combination with a vehicle axle and a motor mounted upon said axle, of a traction wheel provided interiorly with a gear concentric withits axis of rotation, a drive shaft operatively connected with the armature of said motor, journaled in aline ment with and extending into the axis of the traction wheel, a driving pinion upon said drive shaft. a supporting yoke rigidly connected with the motor frame extending into the hub of the wheel and provided within the wheel with opposed, spaced-apart radial extensions, and a plurality of intermediate gears jourualed between the radial extensions of said yoke and interposed between said pinion and the internal gear and meshing with both.

4. In a driving mechanism, the combination with an axle frame provided with upper and lower arms. of a motor pivotally mounted between said arms to oscillate about a vertical axis, a supporting yoke rigidly connected with the frame of said motor and provided with journal por tions, a traction wheel journaled upon said yoke, an armature shaft of the motor extending axially within the yoke and within the traction wheel and carrying a driving pinion. a gear fixed upon the traction wheel concentric with the axis thereof. and a plurality of intermediate gears mounted upon the yoke and interposed between said gear concentric with the traction wheel and said driving pinion.

5. In a driving mechanism, the combination with an axle frame comprising upper and lower supporting bars and a ring frame connecting said bars. of a motor pivoted between said bars to oscillate about a vertical axis. a tubular yoke rigidly connected with the end of the motor frame and externally formed to constitute journal bearings. a traction wheel journaled upon said yoke and provided with an internal annular rack or gear concentric with the axis of the wheel, an armature shaft operatively connected with the motor. extending within the tubular yoke and carrying a driving pinion, diametrically opposed radial extensions upon said yoke within the wheel. and intermediate gears mounted upon said extensions and each mcsh ing with both the pinions and internal gear.

6. In a driving mechanism, the combination with a truetion wheel provided with axle journal bearings at each side of its main plane and provided iuteriorly with a gear non-rotatably mounted therein concentric with said journal bearings. a drive shaft journaled in alinement with the journal axis of the traction wheel. extending within the latter and carrying a drive pinion, a yoke provided with axle journals operatively associated with -the journal hearings of the hub of the wheel and provided between its said journals with radial extensions. and a plurality of intermediate gears mounted upon said radial extensions and intermeshing with said drive pinion and the main gear of the traction wheel, respectively.

GEO. It. WALKER.

Witnesses HMILIE ROSIE, 4 Arlnnu'r II. GRAVES. 

